A
wind-swept muzzle, ears streaming in the breeze and the sensation of flight all
bring a gaping smile to most any dog’s face. But sailing down the road in the
back of a truck, the last thing on a pet’s mind is the hazard of the adventure.
Michelle,
practice manager for one local veterinarian, says that in her 17 years at
Hillside Animal Hospital she has only seen a handful of dogs come in with
injuries related to riding in an open truck bed. Although there is no local
code against it currently in La Crosse, she adds, “I’d like to see a local
ordinance put in place for the overall well-being of the dogs.”
Most
people are appalled at news of a dog left to suffer in the heat of a locked car.
Leave a dog behind in summer for even a few minutes and return to an angry
samaritan, a broken window, or even a police officer. While many Americans are
squeamish to these reports, not many realize that more than 100,000 dogs are
killed annually in the US from injuries related to riding in open pickup truck
beds.
Hit
a small bump at 50 miles an hour and a dog can be launched out of a pickup
truck. Stop short or get into a fender-bender and a dog can be thrown from the
vehicle or slammed into the back of the cab. Even under normal traffic
conditions, sliding around in an open truck bed can easily cause contusions,
lacerations, and broken bones to a tethered dog.
Other
hazards for a dog can include being hit by tree limbs or other surrounding or
flying objects. Also, dirt and debris swept-up in the vortex in the bed of a pickup
truck can do serious harm to dogs’ eyes and nasal passages, and high-velocity wind
turbulence may be painful and damaging to dogs’ ears and hearing.
The
majority of dog owners consider their pet a member of the family, and the
average American household has more than one. Most people generally would−and
do−go out of their way to make their dogs happy, but tossing it in the back of
a truck for a quick trip to Home Depot could prove disastrous.
Wisconsin
has no laws prohibiting dogs from riding in open trucks. Not all states outlaw
the practice and laws vary widely.
Texas
prohibits transporting dogs in open truck beds altogether, and to do so is a
misdemeanor. Minnesota restricts the activity to within immediate proximity of a
designated hunting ground and only while hunting.
